ernational tour that lasted nine months, he told Assistant Life Editor, TERH AGBEDEH, about his latest album, A Long Way to the Beginning, his father’s legacy and much else.
When you think about your father’s legacy, what comes to your mind?
It depends; I think Fela, throughout the time he was alive, was able to build many different legacies. I don’t think Fela’s legacy can be encapsulated in things like his music or his kids. I think he influenced so many aspects of society. Politically, he has a legacy, musically, socially; all over the world Fela is influencing people in many different perspectives of life. It has nothing to do with even his kids in terms of preserving whatever he has done. Fela has been able to inspire the world, so he preserves himself.
Fela predicted that Nigeria would get where we are today?
I don’t think he predicted anything because it was happening then. But as the people in Lekki (the middle class) would tell you today that there is nothing wrong with Nigeria, that is the way most of our parents who had jobs and lived in Surulere then thought that Western Avenue was the end of the world, and didn’t believe what he was saying because they didn’t look at the people in Mushin, Lawanson – all the poor areas of Lagos. But now the poverty has spread to Western Avenue. But with time, the poverty will catch up with them as well. They will then say that Seun, who was complaining in 2014, was a prophet. There is nothing prophetic about it; it is already happening, except that most of us fail to relate with it because we feel it can never happen to us. Just the way 10 years ago people used to say that no Nigerian can kill himself; we cannot have Nigerian terrorists, a Nigerian man cannot blow himself up and so on. So, that is just what it is. In 10 years, when terrorists are blowing up Lagos, if things don’t change, those saying that Boko Haram is a Northern thing and it doesn’t concern us will start to complain.
You have always spoken the truth to the establishment. In your last album, you called them by their names. Is that the same direction you are going with the next one?
I am just going to start work on my fourth album now. We have not released the last one, A long Way to the Beginning, here yet; but it has been out since February in the United States of America. We released it in Australia in May. I think I am going to release it in Nigeria in February next year. That is what we are working on right now. I want to use the time that I am around to create the momentum for the release of my next album.
Is it better to release over there than here?
It doesn’t make any difference. But it is how my record company planned the release. I have signed my contract; so however they plan to release it is what we do. And especially, since they do not have Nigeria in their Sights and Marketing division, I am left to do my releases myself here. So there is no team, I don’t have a record company here helping me work on the release if I am not around.
Don’t you think that if you release in Australia and a sharp Nigerian gets wind of it and does his own release here, Alaba will be happy?
Alaba will be happy irrespective of what you do. Even artistes that make a deal with Alaba make it at a huge disadvantage. They offer artistes way less in terms of services and future earnings; I mean, if I write a song or make an album today, that album is mine till 70 years after I die. Though I am dead, for 70 years, the song remains mine. And this is what they take away from artistes here. The fact that you give somebody your whole album and he gives you $100,000 and then he owns your music for the rest of your life – I mean, even after recouping his $100,000 that he has paid you, he doesn’t pay you any more money. Nobody can go to Alaba and say: you have made your money back; it is time for me to get new money for my music that you are still selling. It is impossible; that is a big factor in the latter days of the artiste’s life. That is why a lot of musicians, though they are so rich when they are very active making music, they find it really hard to survive after that, because as soon as they are not making music, they no longer make any money.
Big boys like you can dictate terms in Alaba. There are those who have no choice but to pay them to get their songs added to compilations.
I am not a big boy (laughter). I don’t have a deal with anybody in Alaba. I make my own records when I am here; as I said, there is no advantage to it. So I probably have a marketing deal with them that says: I will bring you CDs, sell the CDs that I print. Although they would still print theirs and probably not even sell them in Lagos. This is the power that they have; that they are present in every market.
Would you be collaborating with Nigerian record labels?
There are no record labels in Nigeria. Where are the record labels? We have no record labels in Nigeria; we have music marketing companies and entertainment companies. To be a record label is not about signing an artiste; it is about production, manufacture of CDs, distribution. Distribution is what is lacking. The owner of my record label is a billionaire. I try to tell him all the time the advantages of trying to see if we can create a distribution network in Nigeria for helping artistes to get their music across in a fair way. But they are business-minded and do not see the benefit of creating such market in an environment that will not ultimately yield them the profit that they want.
What is your current album like and why did it take you about three years to release it?
There is a song on my album called ‘Higher Consciousness’, which cover representation; the things that we want to see in terms of development in our country… We had recorded the album since 2013; but to release an album, I am working for two years. I am touring. I am everywhere. It is difficult to have the band together to rehearse the songs and have it right. So, basically, that is what takes long. We are always working and we can only work on new material when we are not working. Now I have five months off; we are not going back to work until March. So this is a good time for me to start work on the next record.
How soon are we expecting another baby in your household?
I don’t know. I am not planning for another baby now. But having kids is not difficult; it is being able to raise them that is difficult.
